Wire for removing intravascular foreign body and medical instrument

Abstract

A wire for removing an intravascular foreign body includes a flexible long wire body, a capturing part which is arranged on the forward end of the wire body and in which is formed a space for capturing an intravascular foreign body, and an auxiliary wire which is arranged on the forward end of the wire body. The auxiliary wire assumes a first state in which it projects into the space and a second state in which it retreats from the space as it moves relative to the capturing part.

1 . A wire for removing an intravascular foreign body, comprising: 
 a flexible elongated wire body;    a capturing part arranged at a forward end of the wire body;    a space formed in the capturing part to capture an intravascular foreign body; and    an auxiliary wire arranged at the forward end of the wire body, the auxiliary wire being movable relative to the capturing part to position the auxiliary wire in a first state in which the auxiliary wire projects into the space and a second state in which the auxiliary wire is retreated from the first state.    
   
   
       2 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 1 , wherein the wire body comprises a tube possessing a forward end and a linear body passing through the tube, the linear body possessing a forward end, the auxiliary wire being arranged at the forward end of the tube and the capturing part being arranged at the forward end of the linear body.  
   
   
       3 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary wire is closer to a base end of the wire body than the capturing part.  
   
   
       4 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary wire in the first state is adapted to be in contact with the foreign body and has an expanded part which expands toward the forward end.  
   
   
       5 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 4 , wherein the expanded part possesses a helical shape.  
   
   
       6 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 5 , wherein the helical shape of the expanded part gradually increases in outer dimension toward a forward end of the expanded part.  
   
   
       7 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for limiting a maximum extent to which the auxiliary wire projects into the space in the first state.  
   
   
       8 . A medical instrument comprising: 
 the wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 1;  and    a catheter having a lumen that receives the wire for removing an intravascular foreign body.    
   
   
       9 . A wire for removing an intravascular foreign body, comprising: 
 a flexible wire tube possessing an outer diameter which permits the flexible wire tube to be positioned in a blood vessel of a living body;    a plurality of capturing wires extending forward of a forward end of the flexible wire tube and together defining a space of a size to capture an intravascular foreign body; and    an auxiliary wire, the auxiliary wire and the plurality of capturing wires being movable relative to one another to position the auxiliary wire in one position in which the auxiliary wire projects forward of the forward end of the flexible wire tube into the space to engage an intravascular foreign body captured in the space and another position in which the auxiliary wire is retracted relative to the one position in a direction away from the space.    
   
   
       10 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary wire possesses a linear shape.  
   
   
       11 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary wire possesses a helical shape.  
   
   
       12 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary wire possesses a helical shape that gradually increases in outer dimension in a direction away from the flexible wire tube.  
   
   
       13 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary wire is comprised of a plurality of linear bodies arranged to expand radially outwardly in a direction away from the flexible wire tube.  
   
   
       14 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary wire is fixed to the flexible wire tube to move together with the flexible wire tube.  
   
   
       15 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of capturing wires are fixed to an elongated linear body so that the plurality of capturing wires and the elongated linear body move together as a unit, a portion of the linear body being positioned in a hollow interior of the flexible wire tube, the auxiliary wire and the plurality of capturing wires being movable relative to one another by moving the elongated linear body and the flexible wire tube relative to one another.  
   
   
       16 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 15 , wherein the elongated linear body includes a portion which contacts a part of the flexible wire tube when the elongated linear body and the flexible wire tube are moved relative to one another to position the auxiliary wire in the one position to limit a maximum extent to which the auxiliary wire projects into the space.  
   
   
       17 . The wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of capturing wires are fixed to an elongated linear body so that the plurality of capturing wires and the elongated linear body move together as a unit, a portion of the linear body being positioned in a hollow interior of the flexible wire tube.  
   
   
       18 . A method of removing an intravascular foreign body from a blood vessel of a living body, comprising: 
 introducing an intravascular foreign body removing wire in a blood vessel of a living body, the intravascular foreign body removing wire comprising a flexible elongated wire body, a capturing part positioned forward of a forward end of the wire body, and an auxiliary wire;    capturing an intravascular foreign body within a space of the capturing part;    initiating relative movement between the capturing part and the auxiliary wire to move the auxiliary wire into engagement with the intravascular foreign body captured within the space of the capturing part; and    withdrawing the intravascular foreign body removing wire from the blood vessel with the intravascular foreign body captured within the space of the capturing part.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the intravascular foreign body removing wire is introduced into the blood vessel through a catheter.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein relative movement is initiated between the capturing part and the auxiliary wire by moving the capturing part relative to the auxiliary wire, the capturing part being moved relative to the auxiliary wire until a part fixed to and movable with the capturing part contacts the elongated wire body to prevent further relative movement between the capturing part and the auxiliary wire.